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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

A person is speaking in front of a group of teachers in a classroom.

The devil’s in the details (of adapting and scaling evidence-based programs)

J-PAL Senior Policy Associate Robert Rogers discusses his experience working on an education scale-up in Cote d'Ivoire.
Two women wearing uniforms talking to each other

#DayoftheGirlChild: Preventing the surge in teenage pregnancies due to COVID-19

In this blog, we highlight key interventions that policymakers and practitioners may wish to consider to urgently reduce child marriages and teenage pregnancies in light of the pandemic.
A young student in class

Promoting girls’ participation in schools: insights from academic research

What actions can countries take to implement or reinforce efforts to increase school participation for girls? Pascaline Dupas (Stanford; Co-Chair, J-PAL’s Health sector) presented evidence from randomized evaluations on interventions that have increased school participation in a recent webinar.
Students taking a test in a classroom

Infinitely cost-effective? Common misconceptions in cost-effective analyses

Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) can be a helpful tool in comparing programs with similar tools and determining which are likely to provide the greatest return on investment. Although CEAs are not sufficient alone to inform policy decisions, they can be a useful starting point.
The outside of a city hall building.

Promoting upward mobility in partnership with state and local governments

This blog post is part one of three in a series on how state and local governments in the United States can promote upward mobility in their communities. It is part of J-PAL North America’s work to develop a learning agenda that summarizes the core research priorities from state and local...
A group of people stand outside a school.

Reflections on seven years at J-PAL Africa working to inform policy with evidence

By
  • Emily Cupito
After seven years working with J-PAL Africa, I am transitioning to a new role working in local school systems in the United States. Working with J-PAL Africa (and, in recent years, TaRL Africa) has been one of the greatest joys of my life. As I step away, I want to share a few reflections about how...
A young boy wearing headphones writes on a piece of paper in front of a laptop

Building an effective COVID-19 response: Addressing the education crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant reductions in the quality and quantity of schooling across the United States. J-PAL North America’s The COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Initiative COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Initiative aims to identify effective ways to support students...
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Affiliate Spotlight: Sarah Cohodes on remote education, school reopenings, and student learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

As the new school year begins and COVID-19 cases continue to spread across the United States, questions remain about how to educate students effectively and safely. We sat down with affiliate Sarah Cohodes to discuss the school reopening process, the impact of remote learning on students and parents...